Ejector nozzle



Oct. 18, 1955 R. A. WHITLOCK, JR 2,720,845

EJECTOR NOZZLE Filed D60. 14, 1951 [Wren/0r W a, 74/72/3 United StatesPatent Ofiice 2,720,845 Patented Oct..18, 1955 EJECTOR' NOZZLE Robert A.Whitlock, In, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Antomatic Pump & SoftenerCorporation, Rockford, ill., a corporation of Illinois.

Application Decemlier 14, 1-951, Serial No. 261 619 3 Claims.(Cl..103.278):

This invention relates to an ejector nozzle.

It is an object of this invention toprovide an adjustable ejector nozzlewhich is operative in all of the positionsto which it is adjusted topass a jet of fluid:

Another object of'thi's-invention is to provide anejector nozzle havinga needle valvetherein which is adjustable for selectively varying theflow' of fluid through the nozzle and which-inall the positions to whichit may be adjusted is operative to passa jetof fluid through the nozzle;

It is also an object of this invention to provide an ejector' nozzlehaving an adjustable needle valve controlling the fl'ow of 'fluid' outthe discharge port of" the nozzle, wherein the needle valve is operativein one ex.- tremelimit of its adjustment to block the nozzle dischargepassage and establish a minimum dischargefi'ow through the needle valveitself and is operative inits opposite extreme limit of movement to beretracted from the nozzle discharge passage topermit a maximum flowtherethrough.

A; further object of this invention is to provide an ejector nozzle withan adjustable needle valve therein for controlling the flow through thenozzle having a novel arrangement for maintaining the needle val'veproperly located in the position to whichithas been adjusted.

A still further object of this invention isto provide an ejector nozzlewith an adjustable needle valve: therein for controlling the flowthrough the-nozzle having a novel arrangement for resisting anyundesired displacement of the needle valvein response to:the flow offluidthrough the nozzle.

Yet another object of this invention isthe. provision of an ejectornozzle with an adjustable needle valve thereinfor controlling the flowthrough the nozzle having novel means for preventing leakage of. fluidbetween the needle valve and the nozzle.

Other and further objects and advantagesof'thepresent invention will beapparent from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, which is shown in thedrawing' to illustrate the: principlesofthe invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-section of a lift-turn valveused' in awater treatment system having the. ejector nozzle: of the presentinvention incorporated therein;

Figure 2 isa longitudinal cross-section of the. ejector nozzle of thepresent invention, with the adjustable needle valve: therein. in a.retracted position;

Figure 3' is a fragmentary longitudinal crossasection of theFig. 2device, with the needle valve positionedto blockthe discharge passageof; the: nozzle;

Figure 4 a fragmentary longitudinal cross-section of. the threaded,mounted end of the: needle valve. incorporated in. the ejector. nozzle.of. the present invention; and.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-section taken transverse to the Fig. 4view, and showing the threaded, mounted end of the adjustablev needlevalve for the ejector nozzle.

Referring to Fig. 1, the ejector of the present'invention is shown inconjunction with a lift-turn valve commonly used in water treatmentapparatus, such as watersofteners. The lift-turn valve includes a backplate 11 which is separated from the upper valve chamber 12 by anangularly adjustable rotor 13. In one position of the valve rotor 13,the port 14therein registers with an inlet passage 15 in the back platewhich communicates with. a chamber 16 inwhich is located the ejectornozzle 17 of the present invention. A brine inlet 18 in the back plate11 communicateswith a passage 19 which is located between the dischargeend of the ejector nozzle 17' and the venturi' shaped throat 20 of theejector. In operation, water passes from the upper valve chamber 12 downinto passage 16 and thence through the ejector nozzle, the stream ofwater discharged from the. ejector nozzle drawing brine through inlet 18into the throat 20. of the ejector, after which the brine solutionpasses to: the. water softener tank for regenerating the bed of watersoftening material. therein.

From Fig. 2 it will be seen that the ejector nozzle 17 isformed with agenerally cylindrical outer nozzle body formed intermediate. its extentwith a. plurality of circumferentially spaced inlet passages 21, whichincline inwardly toward the discharge passage 22. in the nozzle. Towardits discharge end the ejector nozzle is externally threaded at 23 to headjustably received in. the end wall 24* of the passage 19 in the backplate of the valve. A. longitudinal, substantially cylindrical passage.25 is formed inthe outer nozzle body to eflect communication between theinlet. passages 21 and the discharge passage 22. At 26 the nozzlepassage 25: tapers inwardly to.- wardits juncture with the smallerdischarge passage 22.

For asubstantial portion of its length away from. the discharge. passage22 the nozzle passage 25 is internally threaded at 27- for receiving theenlarged externally threaded rear end 28 of the needle valve. At itsrear face the needle valve is provided with a slot 30 for the receptionof a screw driver for effecting adjustment of the needle valve withinthe nozzle. An elongated stem portion 29 of the needle valve, of smallercross-sectional size than the nozzle passage 25, extends forward withinthe nozzle passage and. terminates in a tapered forward end- 32' whichis adapted to extend into the nozzle discharge passage 22 and completelyblock the latter. As best seen in Fig. 3, in the extreme forward limitof ad justment of the needle valve, a portion of itstapered forward end32 is seated. against the juncture of the discharge passage 22 and theinwardly inclined portion 26 of the nozzlepassage 25.

At its forward end the needle valve stem 29 is formed with alongitudinal passage 33 which terminates in a port at the. front faceofthe stem 29 which is centrally aligned with. the nozzle dischargepassage 22. Adjacent its other end the needle valve passage 33communicates with a transverse passage 34, which inclines inwardly andforwardly from the periphery of the valve stem. When the forward end 32of the valve stem is seated within the nozzle discharge passage 22 toblock the latter (Fig. 3), the. valve stem passages 34 and 33 pass waterfrom the nozzle passage 25 out the. discharge end of the nozzle. Thus,the needle valve provides a minimum flow through the ejector nozzle whenthe requirements of the system dictate such a minimum flow. When theneedle valve is full retracted the maximum flow occurs through theejector nozzle, this. maximum flow being determined by the size of thenozzle discharge passage 22. Between these two extremes, the. needlevalve is operative to set the flow through the ejector nozzle at anydesired value to adapt the nozzle tov the needs of the particularsystem. Obviously, this adjustability of the ejector nozzle rendersthreaded portion 27 thereof.

it readily adaptable to systems of widely ditferent sizes andcapacities.

In the use of this device it was found that the water passing throughthe needle valve passages 34, 33 exerted a twisting force on the needlevalve tending to twist the same, so as to screwit forward or backwardalong the nozzle passage 25 away from the position to which it had beenadjusted. To avoid any such undesired displacement of the needle valve,the latter is formed at its threaded rear end with a transverse,diametrically extending drilled hole 35 for receiving a cylindricalresilient insert 36 of rubber or other suitable material capable ofdeforming under pressure and of returning to its original shape. Theinsert 36 initially is' of substantially the same cross-section as thehole 35, but capable of being manually inserted therein. Initially theinsert 36 is about A inch longer than the major diameter of the threadedportion 28 of the needle valve so as to project beyond the threadsthereon at diametrically opposed areas thereof at the opposite ends ofthe hole 35. When the needle valve is first screwed into the threadedportion 27 of the axial nozzle passage 25 the insert 36 is compressed atboth ends until it snugly fills the drilled hole 35, after which theinsert exerts acompres'sive force against the female threads at 27. Itis to be noted that the compressive force of the insert 36 against thefemale threads 27 is at diametrically opposite locations on the needlevalve so that the needle valve is maintained properly centered withinthe outer nozzle. This is quite important in order to insure that thedischarge through the needle valve passage 33 is aligned withthedischarge passage 22 in the nozzle. 'To add to the locking action of theinsert 36, after awhile there is a certain amount of vulcanization whichseals the insert 36 to the adjacent threaded portion 27, in the eventthat the insert contains an appreciable amount of natural rubber orcertain synthetic rubbers, such as neoprenes, known to have thatreaction with certain metals, and the threaded portion 27 is of brass orother metal, such as silver, known to have the described reaction withthe natural or synthetic rubbers.

For preventing leakage between the threaded rear end 28 of the needlevalve and the threaded portion 27 of the nozzle, there is provided anO-ring 37 of resilient material, such as rubber, seated against atransverse, flat, annular face 38 formed on the nozzle immediatelybehind the An enlarged head 39 is formed on the nozzle and provides aninternal threaded axial passage 40 immediately behind the face 38. Anexternally threaded hollow cap member 41, which has its outer end closedby an externally knurled head 42, is

threadedly received in the threaded passage 40. At its inner .end'thecap member terminates in an annular face 43, which tapers forwardly andinwardly for engagement with the 0-ring 37 to compress the latter.' Theknurled head'42 permits the cap 41 to be manually screwed in to causeits tapered inner end face 43 to distort the O-ring for effecting apositive seal at the rear end of the threaded portion'27 of the nozzle.When it is desired to change the position of the needle valve axiallywithin the nozzle,

the cap 41 may be screwed out manually and the desired adjustment of theneedle valve accomplished by a screw driver engaging in theslotted end30 of the needle valve.

While in the foregoing description there is disclosed a specificpreferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understoodthat various changes and modifications which depart from the describedform of the invention may beadopted without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention.

I claim: 7 a

1. A screw-in nozzle unit comprising an outer nozzle body formed with adischarge passage terminating in a discharge opening at the forward endof the body,

said body adjacent its forward end being threaded externally and forwardof said externally threaded portion having its periphery terminate shortof the outer periphery of said externally threaded portion to permitscrew-in insertion of the forward end of the outer nozzle body in asupporting structure, said outer nozzle body immediately behind itsexternally threaded portion having a cylindrical periphery and formedthereat with a plurality of inlet passages for admitting fluid to saiddischarge passage from outside the nozzle body, said body having anenlarged annular, internally threaded portion formed integrally on therear end of said cylindrical portion and defining therewith an annularexternal shoulder for limiting insertion of the nozzle unit in thesupporting structure and an annular inner shoulder, said cylindricalportion of saidbody being internally threaded, a needle valve having anexternally threaded portion threadedly received in said cylindricalportion and having a stem projecting forwardly therefrom to control theflow of fluid through said discharge opening, a resilient O-ring seatedagainst said inner shoulder, and an externally threaded cap threadedlyreceived in said enlarged portion on the outer nozzle body, said capmember being formed at its inner end with an annular face for engagingsaid O-ring to compress the latter against said inner shoulder andthereby seal the rear end of said nozzle body.

2.. A screw-in nozzle unit comprising an outer nozzle body formed with adischarge passage terminating in a discharge opening at the forward endof the body, said body adjacent its forward end being threadedexternally and forward of said externally threaded portion having itsperiphery terminate short of the outer periphery of said externallythreaded portion to permit screw-in insertion of the forward end of theouter nozzle body in a supporting structure, said outer nozzle bodyimmediately behind its externally threaded por tion having a cylindricalperiphery and formed thereat with a plurality of inlet passages foradmitting fluid to said discharge passage from outside the nozzle body,said body having an enlarged, annular, internally threaded portionformed integrally on the rear end of said cylindrical portion anddefining therewith an annular external shoulder for limiting insertionof the nozzle unit in the supporting structure and an annular innershoulder, said cylindricalportion of said body being internallythreaded, a needle valve havinganuexternally threaded portion threadedlyreceived in said cylindrical portion and having a stern projecting .for-

wardly therefrom to control the flow of fluid through said dischargeopening, a resilient O-ring seated against the inner shoulder 15, and anexternally threaded cap zle body formed with 'a discharge passageterminating in a discharge opening at the forward end of the body, saidbody adjacent its forward end being threaded externally and forward ofsaid externally threaded portion having its periphery terminate short ofthe outer periphery of said externally threaded portion to permitscrew-in insertion of the forward end of the outer nozzle body in asupporting structure, said outer, nozzle body immediately behind itsexternally threaded portion having a cylindrical periphery and formedthereat with a plurality of inlet passages foradmitting fluid to saiddischarge passage from outside the nozzle body, said body having anenlarged, annular, internally threaded portion: formed integrally on therear end of said cylindrical portion and defining therewith an annularexternal shoulder for limiting insertion of the nozzle unit in thesupporting structure and an annular inner shoulder, said cylindrical.portion of said body heing internally threaded, a needle valve having anexternally threaded portion threadedly received in said cylindricalportion and having a stem projecting forwardly therefrom to control theflow of fluid through said discharge opening, a resilient O-ring seatedagainst said inner shoulder, and an externally threaded cap threadedlyreceived in said enlarged portion on the outer nozzle body, said capmember being hollow and having an inner diameter greater than the outerdiameter of the threaded portion on said needle valve, said cap memberbeing formed on its inner end with a forwardly and inwardly taperingannular face for engaging said O-ring to compress the latter againstsaid inner shoulder and the inner walls of said enlarged portion on saidnozzle body and thereby seal the rear end of the nozzle 15 body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSScharff Nov. 8, 1892 Turner Mar. 10, 1896 Grundell et a1. Apr. 26, 1904Turnbull, Jr. May 31, 1910 Reinecke May 5, 1925 Fahrney Oct. 20, 1931Kilborn et al. Mar. 21, 1939 Guyton Feb. 4, 1941 Jacobsson et al. Aug.15, 1950 Carroll Sept. 19, 1950

